title: rbrothers: R Package for Bayesian Multiple Change-Point Recombination Detection.
abstract: Phylogenetic recombination detection is a fundamental task in bioinformatics and evolutionary biology. Most of the computational tools developed to attack this important problem are not integrated into the growing suite of R packages for statistical analysis of molecular sequences. Here, we present an R package, rbrothers, that makes a Bayesian multiple change-point model, one of the most sophisticated model-based phylogenetic recombination tools, available to R users. Moreover, we equip the Bayesian change-point model with a set of pre- and post- processing routines that will broaden the application domain of this recombination detection framework. Specifically, we implement an algorithm that forms the set of input trees required by multiple change-point models. We also provide functionality for checking Markov chain Monte Carlo convergence and creating estimation result summaries and graphics. Using rbrothers, we perform a comparative analysis of two Salmonella enterica genes, fimA and fimH, that encode major and adhesive subunits of the type 1 fimbriae, respectively. We believe that rbrothers, available at R-Forge: http://evolmod.r-forge.r-project.org/, will allow researchers to incorporate recombination detection into phylogenetic workflows already implemented in R.
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Irvahn
authors.forename: Sujay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chattopadhyay
authors.forename: Evgeni V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Sokurenko
authors.forename: Vladimir N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Minin
keywords: Salmonella; evolution; fimA; fimH; phylogenetics